A team of researchers from the University of Torontos Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering aredeveloping a new way to coat tiny particles of copper onto the inside of fabrics, including those used in face masks a technology that could provide an extra layer of safety against COVID-19.
The goal is to deposit very fine copper particles onto both woven and non-woven fabrics using twin-wire arc (TWA) spray technology. The fabric would then be used in one of the layers of a reusable fabric face mask. Its anticipated the copper-embedded fabric will not affect filter or flow rate parameters and will be able to kill most viral and other pathogens within a few minutes.
By embedding the copper into the fabric, the researchers say masks could provide a continuous and proactive fight against the transmission of current and evolving harmful pathogens without altering the physical barrier properties of the masks themselves.
The anti-microbial properties of copper have been observed since ancient times. Egyptian and Babylonian soldiers would place bronze shavings in their wounds to reduce infection and speed up healing. Today, Mostaghimi and his team including EngineeringsMohini Sain andLarry Pershin,James A. Scott of the Dalla Lana School of Public Health andMaurice Ringuetteof the department of cell and systems biology in the Faculty of Arts & Scienceare exploiting the very same anti-microbial properties to develop coatings that safeguard everything from office furniture to personal protective equipment.
Mostaghimi directs theCentre for Advanced Coating Technologies (CACT)and has studied the impact of copper coatings oninfections in health-care settings for years, seeing first-hand how copper coatings applied to high-touch surfaces can help kill bacteria.
In one study, a copper coating was applied to the handles of half the chairs in a Toronto General Hospital waiting room. Over the course of five months, researchers recordeda 68 per cent reduction of viable bacteria cells per square centimetreon the treated chair handles.
Research from other groups shows COVID-19 surviving up to two to three days on stainless steel and even longer on other surfaces. However, it has been demonstrated that coronavirus particles are inactivated within four hours when exposed to a copper-coated surface at room temperature.
Traditionally, implementing copper coatings would be very expensive, Mostaghimi explains. But our research has developed a method that makes applying copper coatings more economically viable.
The CACT method is known as twin-wire arc spray. The wire part refers to the fact that the raw copper is supplied in the form of copper wire, which is more affordable than copper powders. The spray allows for large surfaces to be coated efficiently.
Another advantage is that the TWA method allows for spray parameters to be tightly controlled so that even heat-sensitive surfaces wood, fabrics, even cardboard can be coated.
Mostaghimi and his team were awarded anAlliance Grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)to explore the possibility applying the TWA method to create copper-embedded fabrics for manufacturing reusable face masks.
For their project, titledCopper Embedded Fabrics and Face masks for Rapid, Irreversible Destruction of COVID-19, Mostaghimi and his team are collaborating with Green Nano Technologies Inc., which will produce a pilot run of the copper embedded face masks.
Using our TWA spray technology, we will be able to produce copper-embedded masks at a marginally more expensive cost than N95 surgical face masks, saysPershin, CACTs centre manager.
Additionally, as copper degrades both DNA and RNA genetic material, the masks will have the added benefit of irreversibly inactivating all microbial pathogens, regardless of their mutation rates even after masks were disposed.
Various copper concentrations will be tested on the fabrics to help determine the optimal parameters for destroying the virus. The copper-embedded fabrics will be tested by Ringuette, whose team will use the fluid released from ruptured virus-infected bacteria, called bacteriophage lysates, to simulate SARS-CoV-2on the masks.
The research has potential health and safety benefits that could extend well beyond thecurrent pandemic. Affordable, reusable anti-viral PPE for health-care workers could mean a decrease in disease transmission in health-care facilities and a reduction associated infections.
See more here:
Copper-coated face masks could help slow transmission of COVID-19: U of T researchers - News@UofT
- Twitter Working on Plan to Charge Users to Watch Videos - November 4th, 2022
- Manslaughter Case Has a Strange Twist: Tesla That Killed Couple Was on Autopilot - November 4th, 2022
- Greta Thunberg Says UN Climate Conference Is a Scam and She's Not Attending - November 4th, 2022
- There's Something Strange About How These Stars Are Moving, Scientists Say - November 4th, 2022
- This Deepfake AI Singing Dolly Parton's "Jolene" Is Worryingly Good - November 4th, 2022
- NASA Sets Launch Date for Mission to $10 Quintillion Asteroid - November 4th, 2022
- Huge Drone Swarm to Form Giant Advertisement Over NYC Skyline - November 4th, 2022
- China Plans to Send Monkeys to Space Station to Have Sex With Each Other - November 4th, 2022
- Jeff Bezos' Housekeeper Says She Had to Climb Out the Window to Use the Bathroom - November 4th, 2022
- AOC Says Her Twitter Account Broke After She Made Fun of Elon Musk - November 4th, 2022
- Scientists Use Actual Lunar Soil Sample to Create Rocket Fuel - November 4th, 2022
- Chinese Spaceplane Releases Mystery Object Into Orbit - November 4th, 2022
- Cats May Be Tampering With Crime Scenes, Scientists Say - November 4th, 2022
- Hackers Just Took Down One of the World's Most Advanced Telescopes - November 4th, 2022
- Elon Musk Meeting With Advertisers, Begging Them Not to Leave Twitter - November 4th, 2022
- That "Research" About How Smartphones Are Causing Deformed Human Bodies Is SEO Spam, You Idiots - November 4th, 2022
- Scientists Found a Way to Control How High Mice Got on Cocaine - November 4th, 2022
- Scientists Spot "Stripped, Pulsating Core" of Star Caused By Horrific Accident - November 4th, 2022
- US Gov to Crack Down on "Bossware" That Spies On Employees' Computers - November 4th, 2022
- Micro and Nano Engineering - Journal - Elsevier - June 29th, 2022
- Arduino Nano Library for Proteus - The Engineering Projects - June 29th, 2022
- People | Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE), IISc - June 29th, 2022
- Forge Nano and Anovion Partner to Help Propel US Battery Tech and Strengthen Domestic Supply Chain - GlobeNewswire - June 29th, 2022
- Stanford engineers' optical concentrator could help solar arrays capture more light even on a cloudy day without tracking the Sun - EurekAlert - June 29th, 2022
- Nanotechnology Market 2022 Detailed Analysis Of Current Industry Demand with Forecasts Growth by 2028 Designer Women - Designer Women - June 29th, 2022
- Why is the Weebit Nano share price charging 5% higher today? - The Motley Fool Australia - June 29th, 2022
- Determining Ways to Combine the Power Conversion and Storage Capacity Needs of Solar Energy Into One Device - AZoCleantech - June 29th, 2022
- New method based on smart materials for experimenting with cells - Nanowerk - June 29th, 2022
- The Ecosystem: leather is so over, but what comes next? - Science Business - June 29th, 2022
- Aalto University scoops 18M in Academy of Finland research funding - Science Business - June 29th, 2022
- 50 Percent of Women in STEM Careers Ready to Join Great Resignation in New Gotara REACH Report - PR Web - June 29th, 2022
- Meet our Sustainability Awards Jury & see what they think about the 2022 program - Architecture and Design - June 29th, 2022
- Announcing Six Winners of the Third Annual Manning/IALS Innovation Awards : Institute for Applied Life Sciences - UMass News and Media Relations - November 13th, 2021
- Lecturer Positions in Intelligent Systems Engineering job with Indiana University Bloomington / Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and... - November 13th, 2021
- Pressure BioSciences Awarded Second U.S. Patent for Its Revolutionary Ultra Shear Technology Platform, for Its Innovative NanoGap Valve - Yahoo... - November 13th, 2021
- Novel Imaging Technique Takes High Resolution 3D Images of Cells - AZoNano - November 13th, 2021
- "Dialogues between world Laureates and Gen-Z" was successfully held: an event focusing on Gen Z and the future of Science - PRNewswire - November 13th, 2021
- NVIDIA Announces Jetson AGX Orin: Modules and Dev Kits Coming In Q1'22 - AnandTech - November 13th, 2021
- Research on Food and Beverage Air Filtration Market Key Data Points Necessary for Effective Strategies | 3M, APC Filtration, Camfil Group, Donaldson... - November 13th, 2021
- Scientists invent 'smart' window material that blocks rays without blocking views - Nanowerk - November 13th, 2021
- How can Australia get cracking on emissions? The know-how we need is in our universities - The Conversation AU - November 13th, 2021
- Machine learning links material composition and performance in catalysts - Nanowerk - August 24th, 2021
- What Is Nanotechnology And How Is It Impacting Neuroscience? - Forbes - August 24th, 2021
- Could Nanotechnology Help to End the Fight Against COVID-19? | IJN - Dove Medical Press - August 24th, 2021
- Are Radioactive Diamond Batteries the Solution to Nuclear Waste? - Interesting Engineering - August 24th, 2021
- Updating the PLOS ONE Nanomaterials Collection Author Perspectives, Part 2 - EveryONE - PLoS Blogs - August 24th, 2021
- Scientists Develop Woven Nanotube Fibers Capable of Converting Heat into Energy - AZoNano - August 24th, 2021
- This engineer is searching for signs of life in the clouds of Venus - Create - create digital - August 24th, 2021
- Ultra-Low IQ PMIC from ROHM Selected to Power NXP iMX8M Nano for High Performance Embedded Artists Industrial Control Board - EE Journal - February 20th, 2021
- Perseverance touches down on Mars and Jaguar going electric: 10 top stories of the week - Professional Engineering - February 20th, 2021
- mHealth Wearable Boosts Remote Patient Monitoring, Connected Health - mHealthIntelligence.com - February 20th, 2021
- New Skin Patch Brings Us Closer to Wearable, All-In-One Health Monitor - I-Connect007 - February 20th, 2021
- Next: Superconducting nanowires could be used in circuits - Electronics Weekly - February 20th, 2021
- 4 UCSD Researchers Win Sloan Research Fellowships for Early Career Scientists - Times of San Diego - February 20th, 2021
- Pendse named 2021 Distinguished Maine Professor - UMaine News - University of Maine - University of Maine - February 20th, 2021
- New Polymer Cores Added to Windows Could Solve Energy Issues for Buildings - AZoBuild - February 20th, 2021
- Caltech Professor Inducted into the National Academy of Engineering Pasadena Now - Pasadena Now - February 15th, 2021
- How Nanotechnology Has Improved the Auto Industry - Salon Priv Magazine - February 15th, 2021
- Caltech: Tai Inducted into the National Academy of Engineering - India Education Diary - February 15th, 2021
- Plastic-nanotube composite 'tougher and lighter than similar forms of aluminium' - Professional Engineering - February 15th, 2021
- New coalmine questioned and high-density hydro planned: 10 top stories of the week - Professional Engineering - February 15th, 2021
- Scientists study moving worm "blobs" to create robot swarms - Big Think - February 15th, 2021
- Riding the Funding Wave: These DFW Startups Got the Money in 2020 Dallas Innovates - dallasinnovates.com - February 15th, 2021
- UVA Honors Distinguished Researchers at Virtual Awards Event - University of Virginia - February 4th, 2021
- Nanostructure of the Anodic and Nanomaterials Sol-Gel Based Materials Application: Advances in Surface Engineering - Products Finishing Magazine - December 19th, 2020
- Evelyn Hu delivers 2020 Dresselhaus Lecture on leveraging defects at the nanoscale - MIT News - December 19th, 2020
- COVID-19 airborne transmission research suggests potential therapies | University of Hawaii System News - UH System Current News - December 19th, 2020
- Engineers awarded for ongoing research excellence - News - The University of Sydney - December 19th, 2020
- New Horizons for research through new adventurous research projects - The University of Manchester - December 19th, 2020
- New collaboration provides opportunity for future water scientists and engineers - Cranfield University - December 19th, 2020
- First of its kind at U of T: MIE launches specialized course in 3D printing - U of T Engineering News - December 19th, 2020
- How Integrated Operations is Using a Breakthrough Misting Technology to Stop the Spread of Deadly Viruses and Bacteria - Iosco County News Herald - October 30th, 2020
- Senior Research Assistant in Experimental Condensed Matter Physics job with THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG | 230871 - Times Higher Education (THE) - October 30th, 2020
- Small Satellite Market Size to Hit USD 9.75 Billion by 2027; Presence of Several Large Scale Companies will have a Positive Impact on Market Growth,... - October 30th, 2020
- Impact Of Covid 19 On 3D Print Materials Industry 2020 Market Challenges, Business Overview And Forecast Research Study 2026 - The Think Curiouser - October 30th, 2020
- The U.S. Finally Has a Sputnik Moment With China - Foreign Policy - October 30th, 2020
- Medtronic Announces Adaptix Interbody System, the First Navigated Titanium Cage with Titan nanoLOCK Surface Technology - BioSpace - October 10th, 2020
- Nanocoolant Alternative for Cooling Elements by UMP Researchers - QS WOW News - October 10th, 2020
- Post Pandemic Nano Gas Sensor Market Size to Reach USD XX Million Billion by 2027 Analysis by Top Manufacturers Raytheon Company, Ball Aerospace and... - October 10th, 2020
- IISc Bengaluru researchers discover nanomotors can lead to early detection of cancer cells - The Indian Express - October 10th, 2020